Wednesday, 17 June 2015

One of my friends was quite amused by a T.V. commercial for Amazon.in ,which goes by "Aur Dikhao (show me some more ) .She asked me why would one go through so many items when just needed just one basic piece to fit your requirement ?

The answer is not that simple ,specially if you are not an Indian .But this trait is not just limited to the Indian species .According to an African Proverb ,"If you have not been to two different bazaars, then you do not know what the best value is !"

But we Indians take the cake and have perfected this trait into an art form when it comes to getting the best value for our money .I can give so many instances when we pinch a penny to save a dollar or to say it in Indian currency , we pinch a paisa to save a Rupee !

My mother, the tough negotiator that she is , would always ensure that once the grocery shopping is done and payment is made ,extra nimbu-dhania-mirchi (lemon-coriander-chillies ) are always added to the basket at no extra cost .We know that we are already paying the green grocer a more- than-sufficient amount for his groceries so it becomes our birthright to extract that extra pound of flesh or in this case vegetables (maybe not very close to his heart though a la Shylock !).

You have to witness a Bengali Bhadralok (gentleman) passionately haggling over the price of his favourite Hilsa in a fish market to get a glimpse of the great Indian Bargainer at work !

image : ayan.co.in

Yet money saved is money earned too .Our elders worked hard , lived frugally and always saved money for a rainy day . The same habits have been inculcated with in us too .Or maybe it is genetic !
So we want to add more value to the purchases done through our hard earned money . I can quote countless examples where we seek more value for money in daily life ,here it goes

1.Free air and a car wash is a value added service when you go for a fuel refill at most gas stations .

3.Free massage with haircut at mens saloon.No fun till a few fingers snap and knead those shoulders !

4 .Free lens cleaning fluid with our prescription glasses .

5. When eating out ,extra sambhar , extra chhole with our thali .And how can I forget the demand for the sukhi plain papdi and flavored water after dunking down lip smacking golgappas filled with tangy hot and spicy flavoured water (golgappe ka Pani ) ! If you have not asked for more Pani , probably the golgappas were not really good enough !

source -www.storyepic.com

6.Sneaking in a few handerkiechives to be ironed for free when sending the laundry to be ironed by the presswala (ironing man ) .

7. Window shopping and trials at big malls but buying from online portals where you get better deals.

8. When going to a marriage function , we make sure that we sample each and every dish on the menu how ever stuffed we are .I have met so many harried relatives asking for the address ,"Where is the Ras -malai /Paneer Tikka ?"
As if Ras-malai or Paneer Tikka were some very significant guests-of-honour not to be missed !

The list can go on and on ,but it would suffice to say that this is a deep ingrained Indian habit to which the world is now waking up thanks to globalization and our globe trotting gujarati P.M. Mr. Narendra Modi .Gujaratis and Marwaris, have traditionally been traders by profession and hence are considered the forerunners in extracting the best value for their money !

The world is waking up to the new empowered Indian traveller , and knowing the Indian psyche's penchant for thoda aur extra (a little more extra ) , even the German Airlines giant Lufthansa has introduced a new class in their airlines - the Premium Economy Class !

Looks like Indians have really arrived on the world map .This Premium economy class comes at a little more than the price of an economy ticket but offers more personal space, more comfort, more relaxation and also more entertainment too .So you get an upgraded premium flying experience at almost the price of an economy ticket .Now that surely appeals to every indian heart !

This is great news for all of us shopaholics ,now you can stuff your bags to your heart's content with all the "imported " stuff and carry it with you without any fear of any loss during transit .

I hear their menu has been indianised too keeping in mind the demands of the Indian traveller .Premium Economy is currently available from Delhi and Bangalore but hopefully other cities will soon have it too .

Lufthansa - a class apart !

So the next time you are travelling and looking for more value for your hard earned money , you know which airline will give you the best value for your money . Happy flying !